Why Most of Us Have Been Cut Off from Our Spiritual Nature

Whether you are capable of tuning into the more subtle changes in energy occurring in the universe or not, it is relatively easy to understand we are going through a unique period in human history. Turmoil defines our age, and it seems we are facing countless threats to our existence, from war and hunger to climate change and resource depletion. While these issues are certainly deserving of our attention, focusing all our efforts on their resolution is setting our sights on the wrong targets.

The abandonment of spirituality by most of the world (especially the “West”), has brought on an existential crisis the likes of which we have never been seen before. By rejecting the idea that humans are children of nature, subject to the energy which provides the compass for all matter in the universe, and by deluding ourselves into thinking all there is can be found here on Earth, we have set off on a path moving forward without guidance or purpose. We wander aimlessly forward, believing our only folly is not having advanced enough technologically to overcome the hardships we face today. Assuming humanity is the “final” step and that there is no higher state to reach reduces the consequences of our actions to that which we experience here on Earth; this is a remarkably short-term perspective and does little to help free the human consciousness from the grasps of those currently maintaining control over the human race.

For those interested in rediscovering this higher, spiritual nature, there are countless ways to do so that will bring you on a journey into the self full of revelation and understanding. However, for this perspective to spread across all of humanity, and for the human race to once again find its spiritual nature, it is important to look at how we lost it in the first place. From there, we can begin to see what is preventing us from following something we know to be a fundamental truth so that we can overcome it and place ourselves where we rightly belong among the cosmos.

Institutional Spirituality

For those unfamiliar with spirituality, one of the first things that often comes to mind is religion. Since religion is a set of beliefs that constantly discusses higher powers and an existence beyond that which we find on Earth, this makes sense, but this connection is something that needs to be broken, for religion as we know it today has very little to do with true spirituality.

In the beginning, it is likely there was a link; people have always pondered the meaning of their existence and have been willing to allow others to guide them through this conundrum. Anyone familiar with the formation and development of the world’s most popular religions, though, knows how they are far better described as organizations used for manipulation, mass control and individual advancement. Kings and queens in Europe relied on the power of the Vatican to sustain their power because they knew what people feared most was the threat of eternal damnation, and by associating their rule with divine powers, they could make themselves all that more powerful. Countless wars have been fought in the name of religion, and many of the countries now facing endemic poverty and deeply unequal social structures are that way because of colonialism carried out in the name of profit and justified by the purification of the human soul.

Religion has left a dark stain on human history, so as people begin to expand their consciousness and learn more about the world, they are becoming less and less willing to accept organized religion as a guide for spirituality. Unfortunately, though, with nothing left to fill this spiritual vacuum, people have turned to worldly pursuits, such as the accumulation of wealth and the domination of territories, as their purpose, both of which draw humans far from their true nature as being interdependent components of the much larger ecosystem we know as life. This leaves the idea of spirituality in the darkness associated with an evil that abused it and tarnished its name. To rediscover our spiritual nature, we must understand organized religion, as we know and understand it today, as something totally different.

The Rise of Technology

To connect to our spiritual nature, it is important we are in touch with the natural world. This is why meditation retreats take place in secluded areas, and it is why we are generally calmer and happier away from city lights. However, over the past several hundred years, humanity has slowly been removing itself from this environment, disconnecting us from the most important life-giving resource, the Earth.

However, we must remember technology is neutral. How we use that technology, though, is not. Technology can make our lives much better. No one will argue the invention of electricity and information communication technologies have inherently made our lives worse, but the way in which we apply these technologies, one could argue, does. Or, if not worse, at least less connected to our true nature—it’s up to you to decide if that is worse or not.

To draw on the arguments put forth in E.F. Schumacher’s seminal book, Small is Beautiful, technology has been used, particularly over the past 200 years, to replace the work traditionally done at the hands of people, work that instills values and helps people to appreciate their dependence on the world around them. Before widespread technology-use, having a nice table and set of chairs in your home was a source of great pride because the labor employed in making it and the materials removed from the Earth were highly valued. Now, thanks to the automation and mechanization of production, having a nice table and set of chairs in your home depends on the income you make and how close you live to a furniture store. There is still value placed on these goods, but it is significantly different than the value assigned before technology.

Schumacher also points to another way technology has affected the way we connect to the world: the sensation of being footloose. Rapidly expanding transportation and communication technologies allow for almost infinite mobility within a society, which disconnects people from their roots, namely their families, their communities and, of course, the Earth on which they were born. The result is a feeling of alienation and isolation, as well as the sensation of a meaningless existence defined by nothing more than the advancement of personal economic goals and material pursuit, which voids spirituality from a person’s life, for spirituality depends on emotions such as love, compassion and interdependence.

As we move forward into a new age, the internet is the technology that will accompany us. Once again, though, this technology is neutral. How we use it will very much define the human existence moving forward. The internet can be used as a way to spread ideas, widen the human consciousness and restore the spiritual nature to humanity, but it can also be used as a source of manipulation and control by those who have no interest in people discovering a purpose beyond the one they lay out in front of us. For those interested in rediscovering their spiritual nature, using tools such as proxies will be essential, as they allow you to hide your identity online, avoid any manipulation and search the web for information and like-minded individuals interested in reconnecting people to their spiritual nature without control or interference. Since action and experience are the most valuable ways to guide the human psyche, doing all you can to protect this ability to act is of utmost importance.

Understanding why people are disconnected to their spiritual nature is the first step, but once this is done, only through skillful action can this connection be made once again.

About the Author: Carla is a writer whose focus ranges from politics and economics to spirituality. She sees today’s issues as something far deeper than what is being discussed on the news, namely a failure to recognize the significance of the human existence. She writes for a variety of websites trying to spread this message to help initiate a dialogue that can help to bring out genuine improvements in the world around us.